Covid-19: 7 Karnataka districts’ active burden eases to double digits

BENGALURU: Active Covid-19 cases in at least seven districts, all in north Karnataka, have fallen to double digits after the surge in April and May. The districts are Haveri, Gadag, Kalaburagi, Bagalkot, Raichur, Vijayapur and Yadgir.
Kalaburagi and Vijayapur have 95 and 86 active cases, respectively, whereas the other five districts have fewer than 50 patients each under treatment currently.Bidar has the lowest number of active infections — six — in the region.
Overall, north Karnataka, comprising 13 districts, has 1,855 active Covid cases currently. The state-wide tally is 22,487 (as of July 27). Infections have been falling for the past month, in a huge relief for health officials and doctors. But district administrations are not dropping their guard and are making preparations for a potential third wave.
According to a senior health official, there has been a decrease in fresh cases in north Karnataka, especially in rural areas. Dr Ravikumar Malladad, the president of the Indian Medical Association’s Haveri unit, said that the situation had improved after the peak of the second wave, but the state government should focus on containing infections further. “The government should initiate preventive measures ahead of the next possible wave. We need proper infrastructure to protect children,” he said.
Haveri zilla panchayat’s chief executive officer, Mohammad Roshan, said the district had only 40 active cases at the moment. “Twelve people are being treated in home isolation and the remaining are in the hospital. Since July 10, we have been maintaining double-digit cases. If the trend continues, the district will be Covid-free soon,” Roshan said.